29 Aug 2011

War historian returning to Gallipoli

7:48 pm on 29 August 2011

A New Zealand war historian will head back to Gallipoli in September as part of an archaeological survey of the Anzac battlefield.

Ian McGibbon will be working there for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, along with Turkish and Australian historians and archaeologists.

The survey began last year and is expected to provide detailed information about what remains of the 1915 battlefield where troops fought.

It covers an area where soldiers were defending a tiny enclave between Lone Pine and Quinn's Post.

New Zealand lost more than 2700 men during the ill-fated campaign.

Mr McGibbon says using modern archaeological techniques, the team will continue to record detail of trenches, tunnels, dugouts, tracks and relics.